While prominent U.S. Senators like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman all seem to think that providing assistance to the Syrian rebels in the form of weapons or bombing campaigns is a good idea, more reasons such a strategy would be foolhardy can be found to America’s south. Remember, by siding with Syria’s rebels, the U.S. is essentially siding with Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood against Iran, China, and Russia. In essence, we are provoking Iran by aiding a movement that consists of rebels belonging to a group that hit us on 9/11. Does that make sense?

A consequence of this policy is that Iran’s proxy – Hezbollah – which has a significant presence in South America would have greater incentive to be mobilized. Oh, yeah, and the U.S. Defense budget is being cut as well.

Southern Command’s chief, Air Force General Douglas Fraser, has recently briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee on the growing threat of Iranian-backed terror networks in South America.

His insight contradicts the Director of National Intelligence’s, James Clapper’s, most recent national threat assessment which failed to mention anything about Iranian proxies. Is the growing Iranian/South American alliance threat truly new, or was this briefing intended to secure USSOUTHCOM’s budget?

At the same time, the current administration seeks to cut defense spending, so virtually every major command needs sound reasons to justify sustaining, far less growing, its budget. Of the major commands, USSOUTHCOM is in danger. Very few have spoken about Southern Command’s activities and needs until now.

As USSOUTHCOM faces the prospect of significant cuts, overt support for Syria’s rebels can only serve to further provoke Iran’s proxies in our southern hemisphere. Did I mention those rebels consist of Hamas and Al-Qaeda elements?

Quite amazingly, Senator Lieberman also wants to learn more about Iran’s proxies to America’s south while advocating we fight them in Syria:

As Congresswoman Sue Myrick, Congressman Peter King, and Senators Jim DeMint and Joe Lieberman have pushed for further insight on the Islamic South American threat, the current administration has done very little. In fact, some may argue this administration has actually assisted the South American terror threat. Consider the administration’s gunrunning scheme, Operation Fast and Furious, and its tone-deaf reaction to the public outcry against it.

Air Force General Douglas Fraser is doing the right thing. He is finally going public about the Islamic threat south of the US border. Unfortunately, that threat is no longer just in the Tri-Border region. That threat has spread like a wild fire, and evidence proves that fire has breached our southern border, making its way into the United States.

This is a point worth underscoring. Joe Lieberman, for example, is concerned that we are not doing enough to understand the Islamic threat south of our border. Yet, he is willing to divert resources which could help do that, to assist their enemies (and ours) abroad instead. Again, does this make any sense?

“Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle.”

There is one very simple question Americans should be asking: Why are so many of the decisions being made by our political leaders benefiting the Muslim Brotherhood while harming ourselves?